Pneumatic-action for musical instruments.



0. HIGEL. PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILEDMAY 17, 1909.

987,575. Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 l l l l I l A I b. C Mm? p4 P? Em 0T FIG.2 0!

WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

O. (V; HIGEL O. HIGEL. PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTSAPPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1909.

Patepted Mar. 21, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O! IN VEN TOR o. H/GEL,

0. HIGEL,

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1909.

987,575. Patented Man21, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 84 4 fly,

UNITED sTA'r s PATFNT orrron- OTTO HIGEL, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA,ASSIGNOR 10F ONE-HALF 'lCi- GEORGE CHARLES HEINTZMAN, 0F TORONTO, CANADAI PNEUMATIC-ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

v i Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 17, 1909. ISerial No; 436,656.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, O'rro HIGEL, of the city of Toronto, in the countyof York, in' the Province of Ontario, Canada, have"in-.

vented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Actions forMusical Instruments, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic actions for musical instruments. 1

It consists in improved details of construction, comprised chiefly ofmetal, the general object of which is to i'mprove'the operation anddurability of the apparatus, as

board tube and vent chamber. Fig. 4 is a front view of a 'portion of theaction, the end being in section to show' particularly the means ofconnecting the vacuum chambers together nd the tubular connectionsbetween the pri in chambers. -Fi 5 is a perspective detail of thepreferred orm -of valve casing-for the primary pneumatic valve. Fig. 6isa perspective detail artially broken away showe ing parts of t esecondary valve chamber separated. I v

Referring to' Fig. 1, A represents the tracker board formed in the usualmanner, and with a series of assageways A. One of a series of tubes isshown depending fromthe rear of theboard, these tubes being preferablmade of metal.

The vent c amber C has a cover D with passagesD, corresponding in numberw th the primary valves. It is provided with passages;= (Fig. 3) whichcommunicate with the primaryvaouum chamber, and is secured to a bar E,shown in Figs. 1 and 8. A seriesof vents F are attached on the inside ofthe vent chamber cover, at the pasereinafter described and I as shown inFigs.2 and 4. my and secondary vacuum g made ofwood, which is liable toswell and shrink in atmospheric chan es. Metal chamhers, however, do.not a 0rd proper sure phragms which have been heretofore ems sages F.The cover of the vent chamber Patented Mai-.21, .1911.

is held detachably b screws'D, -Dflso that I dust may be remove ifnecessary. A series.

of metal tubes G form extensions of the passages D in thecover oftheventcham-j I g by tubes G, preferably offmetahjrforming f" acontinuous passag'e v,

As shown clearly in Fi '1, H indicates the primary vacuum cham r, andI,, I5,*= I the secondary vacuum. chambers. The low- P which hasorifices, J registering with orifices I in the lowest vacuum chamber(Fig; 4). A washer 2 of rubber orother suitable material is interposedbetweenthetop lot her, and these are connected, to the tubes-B estsecondary chamber rests on 'a 0st J and bottom of chamber, to render theoints tight. The vacuum chamber. I. rests on a hollow post L, supportedon chamber I. -The ports or orificesK, K? register with openings Iand Iin thechambers,

respectively, asshown in Fig. 4, and washersB- and 4 areinter osedhere'alsof Hollow posts L',-similar primary chamber Hand the secondarychamber I. A r0d.5 threaded into a bar 5 connects the chambers andhollow posts, and

holds them at the ends in proper position.

The vacuum chambers are closed at both M, secured with interposedwashersnfib"; 6? and 6 to brackets 7, 7", 7 and 7 by screws,

y formed conhectthe 7 ends alike by metal plates M,- M,*-M"

Vacuum' chambers have ber of metal, and have placed within on the bottomasheet of wood orequivalent fibrous material, in which the orifices maybe made,

and which affords at all points .a suitable surface for attaching thediaphragms, the Y etter for this purpose wood or fiber beingv metal. Ithereby avoid the special faces forattaching the 'di aphragms; To avoidbothob'ecti'ons in'asimple and efiective way, I have formed the vacuum.cham

vol

V I form the valve casing with a flange on its ble diaphragm is attachedto the wood, covers the cavlty of the enlargement A and rests at themargins on the wooden surface.

Primary valve casings N are secured 011 the top of the primary vacuumchamber. This is shown in place in Fig. 1, and detached in Fig. 5. Eachhas a vertical chamber and the ordinary nipple N on one side forconnection with the tube 0 As heretofore made, these Valve casings havebeen formed to screw into the top of the valve chamber. This makesdifficult the securing of an airtight joint, and also the alinement ofthe nipple with the projecting tube with which it is to be connected.Instead of this lower'end, adapted to rest on the top of the chamber,and to be connected therewith by screws with an airtight interposedpacking. Holes are made .in the flange, and corresponding holes arethreaded into the top on which it rests, these so registering as tobring the nipple into proper alinement with certainty, and withoutspecial care, when the screws are inserted in the holes. Also the jointis certain to be tight. The casin may be made in one piece and cheaply;an

may be quickly and certainly put in place. The primary valve N, which islocated in this casing, is provided with a bottom N on top of which is ayielding washer. N, and at the bottom it has a stem N carryin a buttonN, which normally rests on t e diaphragm Q (Fig. 3). An enlargedcontinuation N 8 of the stem N, extends up through the casin and carriesat its button b having on its un er face a washer N. This rests normallyon the valve casing, but the stem N is long enough in relation to thecasing to permit the proper movement of the valves. The passage throughthe stem N opens as usual into the annular space between the stem andthe interior walls of the casing. The passage from the orifice Q, below;the diaphragm Q is formed by the nipple Q,

tube Q, and nipple C to the passa e D in the rear of the .vent chamber.assages from the rimary vacuum chamber to the vent cham r are shown indotted lines in Fig. 3 at C, and the series of vents'and orificesfromthe vent chamber to, the passage D The front top bar of the frame isshown at O, in which the tubes 0. are inserted, and

[ these form a continuation of the vertical passages 0 in thebar O,further continuation of'the passa e being formed b metal tubes 0 insertin the assage projectin downward, as s own'in Figs. 1 and 3. ith thesetubes 0 are connected metal tubes P by flexible tubes P of rubber, andthe tubes P are in connection with the metal elbows P. As shown in thesefigures also, these elbows form communicationwith manner.

upper, end aand" the recess in the vacuum chamberI under the Eliapjhragmtherein. Similar elbows P and through similar rubber tubes andconnections, respectively, with the recesses in the vacuum chambers Iand I. P and P are similar connections, as shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 1 and 3 show the connections be tween the elbow P and the vacuumchamber I consisting of nipple 9, elbow 10 connected to the bottom ofthe vacuum chamher, nipple 10 and tube 11 covering and connecting bothnipples. These parts are shown on, a larger scale, and in section inFig. 3. The connections at the bottom of chambers I'- and I are thesame. These figorm connections and by elbows 10, a

urcs also illustrate the arrangement of the primary vacuum chamber withits valve chambers, over the secondary vacuum chambers with thenvalvechambers, and the direct communication between them. Fig. 3

washer packing and securing screws.

The main art of the secondary valve casing R is made in one piece ofmetal like the prunary valve casing, but differs somewhat as' its placeand connections require. It is connected. with or forms part of thearcshaped tube S, which leads to the motor pneumatic T (Fig. 1%operating in the usual The ,tube lower end whereby it is secured to thetop of the motor pneumatic, in connection therewith, as shown. Thecasing R has an upper laterally extended flange R on which rests withinterposed packin R a dish-shaped cover R having a centra openin R. Overthis is located aplate preferably of fiber,

R. It has a guide hole, and. is held to the casing by the screws whichhold the cover has a flange S on its these are rovi ed with suitableyielding washers, and U- These valves act in the usual manner. Thesevalves operate vertical] When atmospheric pressure is admitte throughthe opening in the tracker bar, the diaphra expands u wardly, and thuslifts the vafv cutting o communication between the atmosphere andthe'motor eopening inthe pneumatic. When tracker bar is closed thediaphragm and valve drop, allowing air to enter the motor pneumatic...When the valve is pushed upwardly and held against the dish shaped cup,communication is established between tom of the vacuum chamber, ashereinbefore described. Italso has the series of orifices, 1n this casemarked V, located at suitable distances throughout the length of thebar, and corresponding in number and location to the secondary valvesand, as there are three secondary vacuum chambers and one prlmar ,thenumber of secondary valves in each the three is one third of the numberof the primary. The construction will be clear from the drawings andprevious description, the commun cation from the chamber underneath thediaphragm W being through the elbow 10 and passage shown at 9, to thepassage P. The diaphragm W is secured to the wood or fiberiby' glue,cement, or'in'any convenient way. It is normally in contact with thebutton U. The other secondary vacuum chambers with their co-actingvalves and casings have the same construction as hereinbefore.described, and the connections of such chambers by tubes to the primaryvacuum chamber set vertically over them are the same, by the same formof tube, the lower having the longest and the top the shortest.

There is a second bar 0 located beneath the bar 0, and upon bars 0 andOis sup-.

ported a trans arent late (preferab; of y the vent chamber cover to thevent chamber Wlll celluloid) for c osing t e major part 0 action, andyet permitting inspection,

Similar bars and screens are provided, as

. scribe its operation-;and utility.

When the music 'sheet asses over the tracker board and air is adinittedthrou h its perforations to the tracker .ducts', t e vacuum existing inthe tube G and passa eways communicating therewith'to the diaphragm Q isbroken, the primary valves orced upwardly and the air allowed to passthrough the valve casing N and passageways N and'communicatingpassageways hereinbefore described to the recesses beneath thediaphragms W,the'reby forcing up'the double valve U and U thus closingthe orifice in the plate-R, thereby producing a vacuum in the arc-shapedtubes and cor-re sponding motor neurnatics thus operating.

on the action in t 1e usual manner. It will be seen from theconstruction I have described that all the essential co-acting arts uponwhich the air tightness of my evice and the production of vacuuni'isassured are made of metal except the seats and a valve stem havingupperand for'the diaphragm within the vacuum chain bers, which are preferablymade of wood or other material to which the leather diaphragm may beafiixed, so as to insure a lasting air tight joint. It will also be seenthat my action is constructed with the primary vacuum chambersvertically above the secondary vacuum chambers and that, therefore, theprimary and secondary valves are assisted in'their action by gravity andthus less liable to leak.

The primary and secondary valves are connected by metal tubes and elbowsand the flexible rubber connecting tube in front of the bar therebyforming a simple, permanent and durable form of protection, which willobviate the necessity of separating the entire action; should any notesbecome silent through foreign matter getting under the valve seats, andthis allows the cause of the trouble to be simply and instantly locatedand rectified as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

The form of connection of the secondary valve casing to the powerpneumatic is very advantageous, as it avoids any liability of leakage,and at the same time provides a shorter-and smooth passage of the airfrom the pneumatic to the valve, and thus reduces the friction on thecolumn of air passing therethrough to a minimum.

Thevalve casings belng madeof metal and being vertically disposed, maybe readily separated at the top should any defect occur therein, whichis an important desideratum.

The simplicity. of the connection of the be appreciated by thoseskilledin the art, as if dust should accumulate, the cover may be easilyremoved, and thereby allow the vents to be cleaned.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination wlth the m n pa.

-mary vacuum chamber rectangular in'cross section, of a metal valvecasing secured to the top of the vacuum chamber. having its orificevertically disposed, and aflan lower washered buttons, and a ni pleleading from the vertically disposed ori ce in theprlmary valve casing,a secondary metal vacuum chamber -d1s osed beneath the rimary vacuumchaml ena front bar provi ed with a right angular orifice, a ni pleextending from the horizontal portion 0 the orifice 0p-' posite thenipple in the valve casing and a rubber tube c'onnectirfg the aforesaidmpples a nipple extending from the lower portion of'the right angularorifice, elbows connected to the bottom of the secondary vac- .uumchamber, a bar located in front of such elbows, a second set of elbowslocated in front ofthe bar, ni ples' extending into both elbows oppositeone other, an encompassing ed. top,

flexible tube for the nip les, metal tubes extending up from the ro'ntelbows and a flexible encompassing tube connecting. the verticalextending metal tube with the nipples extending from the orifices in thefront bar as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a pneumatic action for musical inst-ruments, the combination withthe secondaryvacuum chamber arranged horizontally of a valve-casingarranged vertically superimposed upon the secondary vacuum chamber, amotor pneumatic and a support therefor extending from the valve casing.

3. In a pneumatic action-for musical instruments, the. combination with'the secondary vacuum chamber, of a secondary valve casing superimposedupon the secondary vacuum chamber and having the double "operating valveworking vertically therein,-

a motor pneumatic and an are shaped tube integral with the valvecasingfor supporting the motor pneumatic as and for the purposespecified. I v

4:. In a pneumatic player, the'combina tion with the secondary metalvacuum chamber casing rectangular in cross section, a passageway leadingupwardly to the valve casing of theprimary vacuum chamber, and

a bar of fibrous material extendin length wise of the casing andprovided wit an orifice registering with the passageway leadingtotheprimary valve casing, a flexible diaesm'ns phragm cementedon to thebar and closing the orifice, a valvecasin provided with a flanged bottomand pac 'ing surrounding the opening in the top of the vacuum chamber,-atop'provided with a central orifice, a double acting valve locatedbetween the top and bottom of the valve casing, a motor pneumatic and atube leading from the valve casing to the motor pneumatic as and for thepurpose specified.

'5; In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, a secondary valvecasing having a cylindrical portion and an integral are shaped tubeforming part of the same and extending from the valve casing to the m0-tor pneumatic and 'rovided with means for fastening-it to such pneumaticas and for the purpose specified.

6. In a pneumatic action for. musical instruments, the combination withthe vacuum chamber casing made of metal; of :1 dia phragm-bar made offibrous material suitably secured to the bottom of the casing andextendingcontinuously from end to end of the casing, and having orificesand seats for the diaphragms, as and for the purpose specified.

. orTo HIGEL. Witnesses:

B. Born,

R. Comm;

